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Topic: Expert Class: Mad Berserker (Read 4521 times)

Mad Berserker (Expert) The Mad Berserker is a force of death, dissolving so completely into the euphoria of slaugher that they scarcely resemble the person they are at other times. Mad Berserkers generally cannot stay in one place for very long, due to their propensity for sudden and deadly violence. However, in some cases, they are able to sell their talents as professional soldiers to less discriminating masters. Depending on your campaign, a Mad Berserker could be...A wild-eyed pirate, searching for loot and captives, and slaking his monstrous thirst for blood where he can.A wanderer seeking glorious death as a penance for an unspeakable shame in his past, taming his misery with strong drink and wild slaughter.A man from a quiet village, who just wants to be left alone, and not fight, or have to flee town, or be bothered by people who make him lose his temper, or be arrested.A primal warrior, calling up the wisdom of the spirits and the wild to fuel his uncanny courage.A grim mercenary, mixing business with pleasure.

Party Role: Combatant. Basically, you kill things. Sometimes they try to kill you. Either way, a lot of property damage tends to be involved.

Class AbilitiesFurious: You gain the Rage Mastery feat. Any time you take Wound damage, fail a save against an effect, or fail to rest a skill check in combat, you instantly and involuntarily enter the Berserk Stance. Also, while in Berserk stance, any melee attacks you make that would normally inflict subdual damage inflict lethal damage instead (this does not apply to Pummel and other actions that specify subdual damage only). Still coming: At Level 2, you gain thick hide 3. You also gain 1 additional Wound per Class Level.Red carpet treatment I: At Level 3, you gain the Cleave Basics feat. Red carpet treatment II: At Level 7, you gain the Cleave Mastery feat.Never heard of him: At Level 4, you gain a +5 on Lie checks.Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5.Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsed by 10 instead of 5.Natural predator: Level 5 and 9, the lower of your Strength and Wisdom increases by 1.Mindless howl of torment: At Level 6, as a full round action, you can Threaten everyone within a 20 ft. cone. You make one skill check while all the targets resist separately.Rough living: At Level 7, you gain a +2 bonus to Defense, as well as with saves prompted by the environment.Channeled rage: At Level 8, you can assume Berserk Stance and another stance at the same time. Unnerving transformation: At Level 10, when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage while you are in Berserk Stance. While Berserk, you also gain Stress Resistance equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 1) and DR equal to your Str modifier (min 1). However, while berserk, you also gain the lumbering quality (-2 Reflexes, flanked by any two adjacent opponents).

I'm not fond of handing out penalties to a class, without someway of reducing them as you level up.Blood Drinker and Furious are a bit clunky as written.You're Level 4 abililty Never Heard of him seems out of place, it just doesn't say mad killer to me, and also the class doesn't have Bluff as a class skill.

Core AbilityBlood drinker: When you kill or knock an opponent unconscious, you may spend an Action Dice to take a Refresh action as a free action.

Class AbilitiesFurious: You gain the Rage Mastery feat. Also, while in Berserk stance, any melee attacks can be converted to lethal damage at no penalty.Still coming...: At Level 2, you gain thick hide 3. You also gain 1 additional Wound per Class Level.Red carpet treatment I: At Level 3, you gain the Cleave Basics feat. Red carpet treatment II: At Level 7, you gain the Cleave Mastery feat.Violent Reputation: At Level 4, NPCs gain a synergy bonus from your Intimidate Skill to all recognisation Checks. Further, whenever an NPCs makes a Recognition check to reconise you they gain the Shaken ConditionHeoric Reputation: At Level 4 and 8 you gain one rank of Heroic Renown. Natural predator: Level 5 and 9, the lower of your Strength and Wisdom increases by 1.Rough living: At Level 6, you gain a +2 bonus to Defense, as well as with saves prompted by the environment....Now Hear me Roar!: At Level 7, as a full round action, you can Threaten everyone within a 20 ft. cone. You make one skill check while all the targets resist separately.Channeled rage: At Level 8, you may assume a second stance while in Berserk Stance.Unnerving transformation: At Level 10, while in Bersetk Stance, you also gain Stress Resistance equal to your Wisdom modifier (min 1) and DR equal to your Str modifier (min 1). Further, when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage.

I'm not fond of handing out penalties to a class, without someway of reducing them as you level up.

The only penalties they are really stuck with are a) lethal damage while Berserk, b) one of two possible stances may be filled with Berserk Stance, and c) lumbering while Berserk. If a player would like their berserker to exhibit a little more control, grabbing Rage Supremacy would allow them to make skill checks while berserk and drop the stance on their turn if desired. They can also literally tire themselves out trying to control their fury... which I happen to think is fun.

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Blood Drinker and Furious are a bit clunky as written.

Maybe. I broke Blood Drinker out like I did to be more literal, because technically, a Refresh action requires you to go a round without being hurt (your next initiative), so in addition to making it a free action, you would need to specify it happens instantaneously.

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You're Level 4 abililty Never Heard of him seems out of place, it just doesn't say mad killer to me, and also the class doesn't have Bluff as a class skill.

The idea is that a wandering madman has to lie a lot. In fact, it's a common trope that murderous killing machines sort of blend into the background until something sets them off. The lack of a Bluff skill is an error; I originally had the ability relating to Disguise before I realized Disguise doesn't actually do what I thought it did. When I reshuffled the skill list while accomodating Blend, I left Crafting in and Bluff out.

There are things about the way you restructured the class that are appealing, but in my conception, I like the idea of the various abilities coming with some cost. Nothing that would cripple the character, but things that reinforce the idea of someone so violent it is both a superpower, and something that divides them from lawful society.

Still coming: At Level 2, you gain thick hide 3. You also gain 1 additional Wound per Class Level.

That’s a core ability, not something for level 2.

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Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5.Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsed by 10 instead of 5.

Just use the Assassin’s Unspoken Name ability.

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Channeled rage: At Level 10, you can assume Berserk Stance and another stance at the same time.

That’s a game breaker if you pump it a bit.

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Still coming: At Level 2, you gain thick hide 3. You also gain 1 additional Wound per Class Level.

That’s a core ability, not something for level 2.

Aesthetically, I kind of agree. On the one hand, it's difficult to imagine a member of this class wearing plate. On the other hand, it would be nice at 1st level. Maybe swap with Blood Drinker?

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Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5.Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsed by 10 instead of 5.

Just use the Assassin’s Unspoken Name ability.

This is more like a "Spoken Name."

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Channeled rage: At Level 10, you can assume Berserk Stance and another stance at the same time.

That’s a game breaker if you pump it a bit.

True. But I really want to stick with the completely monstrous transformation as the 10th level ability. I think it does fine at the level it's at, particularly after the somewhat soft Violent Reputation for a couple of levels.

Aesthetically, I kind of agree. On the one hand, it's difficult to imagine a member of this class wearing plate. On the other hand, it would be nice at 1st level. Maybe swap with Blood Drinker?

I'd pick one or the other, they're both core abilities.

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This is more like a "Spoken Name."

Yeah, but it does the same ability except now there is a penalty involved.

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True. But I really want to stick with the completely monstrous transformation as the 10th level ability. I think it does fine at the level it's at, particularly after the somewhat soft Violent Reputation for a couple of levels.

I'm just saying it's really powerful.

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Well, let's look at that. Imagine you stack it with Martial Spirit stance from Sword Basics. You gain the same relative benefit as someone who has no stances and takes Sword Basics for the first time. In absolute terms, you are pushing higher numbers, which makes it somewhat strong. However, to even take advantage of the ability requires you to spend a feat on something that grants a stance. Further, you won't be able to make any skill checks other than Intimidate unless you spend a feat on Rage Supremacy.

For an ability that comes late in the class, and requires independently acquiring both Rage Supremacy and a weapon Basics feat to gain its full benefits without incurring a serious cost, I think it's just about right. Consider if instead, the ability was simply Charging Basics as a bonus feat. By taking Charging Mastery and Charging Supremacy independently, could you not also acquire considerable powers on top of the Rage Stance?

For an ability that comes late in the class, and requires independently acquiring both Rage Supremacy and a weapon Basics feat to gain its full benefits without incurring a serious cost, I think it's just about right. Consider if instead, the ability was simply Charging Basics as a bonus feat. By taking Charging Mastery and Charging Supremacy independently, could you not also acquire considerable powers on top of the Rage Stance?

It's you thing paws, I'm just telling you it's a power house.

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So you are unpersuaded, I take it. Can you think of a specific use of this ability that strikes you as overpowered?

I've toyed with 2 EC using this idea (one being Bezerker Stance specific) and it's always seemed to be a game breaker for me. It's not any one thing, it's just how it has seemed to me since I first thought of it.

Okay, I'll give you one thing. Bow Basics, Whip Basics, and Sword Basics all give a combined bonus of 4 to hit and damage. Letting these stack with Zerk Stance (assuming you have more of the chain or an odd modifier) doubles that bonus. It just looks like a game breaker to me, maybe I'm wrong. Martial Artist's level 10 ability does something similar and it's not a gamebreaker.

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The Mad Berserker is a force of death, dissolving so completely into the euphoria of slaugher that they scarcely resemble the person they are at other times. Mad Berserkers generally cannot stay in one place for very long, due to their propensity for sudden and deadly violence. However, in some cases, they are able to sell their talents as professional soldiers to less discriminating masters. Depending on your campaign, a Mad Berserker could be...A wild-eyed pirate, searching for loot and captives, and slaking his monstrous thirst for blood where he can.A wanderer seeking glorious death as a penance for an unspeakable shame in his past, taming his misery with strong drink and wild slaughter.A man of ordinary origins, who just wants to be left alone, and not fight, or have to flee town.A primal warrior, calling up the wisdom of the spirits and the wild to fuel his uncanny courage.A grim mercenary, mixing business with pleasure.

Party Role: Combatant. Basically, you kill things. Sometimes they try to kill you.

Core AbilityGore-splattered: You gain thick hide 3. Also, at Level 1 and for each Class Level thereafter, you gain 1 additional skill point that must be spent on Intimidate or Resolve.

Class AbilitiesFurious: You gain the Rage Mastery feat. Any time you take Wound damage, fail a save against an effect, or fail to rest a skill check in combat, you instantly and involuntarily enter the Berserk Stance after the action is resolved. Also, while in Berserk stance, any melee attacks you make that would normally inflict subdual damage inflict lethal damage instead (this does not apply to Pummel and other actions that specify subdual damage only). Blood drinker: At Level 2, When you kill or knock an opponent unconscious, you may spend action dice to heal without taking a Refresh action.Red carpet treatment I: At Level 3, you gain the Cleave Basics feat. Red carpet treatment II: At Level 7, you gain the Cleave Mastery feat.Never heard of him: At Level 4, you may substitute Resolve in place of Bluff when attempting to Lie.Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5, unless they possess the feral or ferocity qualities or any Rage feat. Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsened by 10 instead of 5.Natural predator: Level 5 and 9, the lower of your Strength and Wisdom increases by 1.Hound of battle: At Level 6, once per scene, while you are in the berserk stance, you may gain one Basic Combat feat as a temporary feat until the end of the scene.Unnerving transformation: At Level 7, while in berserk stance, you gain the Horror type, the lumbering NPC quality (-2 Reflexes, flanked by any two adjacent opponents), and when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage. Chill of darkness: At Level 8, you gain the fearsome NPC quality.Lake of blood: At Level 10, choose five tricks. You gain those tricks as temporary bonus tricks when you are in berserk stance.

Core AbilityGore-Splattered: You gain thick hide 3. Also, at Level 1 and for each Class Level thereafter, you gain 1 additional skill point that must be spent on Intimidate or Resolve.

I like this. Although I think the Thick Hide is a solid core ability on its own, and the free skill points might be a bit much. However, creating a new skill pair for Basic Skill Mastery is nice, and not a huge bump in power scale.

Gore-Splattered: You gain thick hide 3. Also, when taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Berserker (Intimidate & Resolve).

Class AbilitiesFurious: You gain the Rage Mastery feat. Any time you take Wound damage, fail a save against an effect, or fail to rest a skill check in combat, you instantly and involuntarily enter the Berserk Stance after the action is resolved. Also, while in Berserk stance, any melee attacks you make that would normally inflict subdual damage inflict lethal damage instead (this does not apply to Pummel and other actions that specify subdual damage only).

Not a fan of the name (I see what you're doing, but you're burning up a solid glitterati ability name for... a lopsided-grin inducing gag). That and all you're doing is granting a specific feat (twice). This ability need more. Might I suggest the following replacement?

Carve A Path I: Whether a crowd or a battlefield, others don’t stay in your way. At Level 3, you gain the Cleave Basics feat and your maximum rank in Intimidate increases to your Career Level + 5.Carve A Path II: At Level 7, you gain the Cleave Mastery feat and your maximum rank in Intimidate increases to your Career Level + 7.

Never heard of him: At Level 4, you may substitute Resolve in place of Bluff when attempting to Lie.

This one just doesn't hit me thematically. Are you going for the "big, stoic,grim, conan-type with violance bubbleing just beneath the facade he's plastered onto his face and just stares at others then confronted with questions so that they assume his answers for themselves"? then it might need another name that gets that across.

Silent Staredown: At Level 4, you may substitute Resolve in place of Bluff when attempting to Lie to questions asked of you.

Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5, unless they possess the feral or ferocity qualities or any Rage feat. Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsened by 10 instead of 5.

Like many others, I'm just not a fan of these. I understand the Disposition worsening mechanic that you've got going on here, but it works against the desires outcome as much as for it (A merchant is likely to raise prices slightly because of a negative disposition - not give the scary man a deal so he moves on). So you want his bad reputation to scare wimps into helping him, and for him to be a real dick when he wants to tweak someone's nose. Browbeat is what you want to do, then. How about:

Violent reputation I: At Level 4, your Heroic Renown increases by 1 and you may target a single character with as many Browbeat checks during a single scene as you have Unarmed Combat feats.Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your Heroic Renown increases by 1 (total increase 2) and you may now apply your highest and second highest shift for your multiple browbeat checks.

Unnerving transformation: At Level 7, while in berserk stance, you gain the Horror type, the lumbering NPC quality (-2 Reflexes, flanked by any two adjacent opponents), and when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage.

This needs to be optional, since it's got a downside built into it. There will be times when the Mad Berserker doesn't want to get worked up to the max. Also, I think the transformation must be a voluntary thing - so it's not kicked off by the level 1 ability's instant and involuntary Berserk Stance.

Unnerving Transformation: At Level 7, when you voluntarily enter the berserk stance, you may choose to gain the Horror type and when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage If you do this, you also gain the lumbering NPC quality.

Lake of blood: At Level 10, choose five tricks. You gain those tricks as temporary bonus tricks when you are in berserk stance.

Not a fan of the name... and it's rather weak without some some caveats. Not if you get to cherry pick 5 tricks from any source... that's a gamebreaker! We'll add in the "gain and replace" mechanic from Cross-Training to allow character progression continue unhindered.

Orgy Of Destruction: At Level 10, choose five attack tricks from any character options (Including feats you do not possess), as long as you have the appropriate forte for the tricks attack type. You gain those tricks as temporary bonus tricks when you are in the Berserk stance. You may not choose a trick you already have, and if you later gain a trick you’ve chosen here you do not gain it a second time; instead, you make a new trick choice to replace the former one.

I like this take a lot more than the previous version. The flavor is good, but the words and works aren't quite there. Here's my take on your work. What do you think?

Thanks for the feedback.

Let me say a little more about the concept. The quintessential Mad Berserker is Cuchulainn, so the first measure of each ability is how well it handles him. This class also works pretty well for Groo the Wanderer, or for a Trollslayer dwarf who has started to feel the taint of Chaos. He has two central qualities: first, in a berserk, he is extremely dangerous, almost unstoppable; second, he is scary, as in, this transformation unnerves and terrifies everyone around, friend or foe. Some versions of Cu Chulainn describe his eye popping out of his head, the muscles on his face twisting so much he was unrecognizable, and some sort of spout of blood or flame shooting from his head. Just a couple of levels of the class might be good for a Viking berserk, but by the time you hit unnerving transformation, this guy is basically the Incredible Hulk, in a fantasy setting.

Core AbilityGore-Splattered: You gain thick hide 3. Also, at Level 1 and for each Class Level thereafter, you gain 1 additional skill point that must be spent on Intimidate or Resolve.

I like this. Although I think the Thick Hide is a solid core ability on its own, and the free skill points might be a bit much. However, creating a new skill pair for Basic Skill Mastery is nice, and not a huge bump in power scale.

Gore-Splattered: You gain thick hide 3. Also, when taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Berserker (Intimidate & Resolve).

The model ability is the Swashbuckler's core ability. I consider thick hide 3 a fair trade for a rank of Renown. Either they wear armor, in which it's not much use; they already have thick hide, in which case it's +1 DR; or they have nothing, in which case it's a patch.

Not a fan of the name (I see what you're doing, but you're burning up a solid glitterati ability name for... a lopsided-grin inducing gag). That and all you're doing is granting a specific feat (twice). This ability need more. Might I suggest the following replacement?

Carve A Path I: Whether a crowd or a battlefield, others don’t stay in your way. At Level 3, you gain the Cleave Basics feat and your maximum rank in Intimidate increases to your Career Level + 5.Carve A Path II: At Level 7, you gain the Cleave Mastery feat and your maximum rank in Intimidate increases to your Career Level + 7.

I thought about this, but after getting skill ranks from the core ability, a bonus to Intimidate from violent reputation, this seems a little like overkill. I'd like to throw in a sweetener, but I haven't come up with anything. And boring or no, those are good feats, and very thematic.

Never heard of him: At Level 4, you may substitute Resolve in place of Bluff when attempting to Lie.

This one just doesn't hit me thematically. Are you going for the "big, stoic,grim, conan-type with violance bubbleing just beneath the facade he's plastered onto his face and just stares at others then confronted with questions so that they assume his answers for themselves"? then it might need another name that gets that across.

Silent Staredown: At Level 4, you may substitute Resolve in place of Bluff when attempting to Lie to questions asked of you.

This replacement is still kinda blah... I don't know.

This more the "a lifetime of holding in a bottled, mad rage so you can pretend to function like a normal person" thing. When asked uncomfortable questions, they just stare blankly, and people decide to talk about something else. Points in Resolve give the character enough composure to lie about their past, present, and future.

Violent reputation I: At Level 4, you gain +1 on Intimidate checks and one rank of Heroic Renown. However, any NPC who recognizes you has their Disposition worsened by 5, unless they possess the feral or ferocity qualities or any Rage feat. Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your bonus to Intimidate checks increase to +2 and you gain another rank of Heroic Renown. Any NPC who recognizes you now has their Disposition worsened by 10 instead of 5.

Like many others, I'm just not a fan of these. I understand the Disposition worsening mechanic that you've got going on here, but it works against the desires outcome as much as for it (A merchant is likely to raise prices slightly because of a negative disposition - not give the scary man a deal so he moves on). So you want his bad reputation to scare wimps into helping him, and for him to be a real dick when he wants to tweak someone's nose. Browbeat is what you want to do, then. How about:

Violent reputation I: At Level 4, your Heroic Renown increases by 1 and you may target a single character with as many Browbeat checks during a single scene as you have Unarmed Combat feats.Violent reputation II: At Level 8, your Heroic Renown increases by 1 (total increase 2) and you may now apply your highest and second highest shift for your multiple browbeat checks.

My version applies to Threaten and Coerce as well, which I think is nice. Disposition does not apply to Intimidate checks, so this is a character that relies on either disguising their identity, or intimidating people.

Unnerving transformation: At Level 7, while in berserk stance, you gain the Horror type, the lumbering NPC quality (-2 Reflexes, flanked by any two adjacent opponents), and when you hit an opponent with an unarmed or melee attack, the target also suffers 2 stress damage.

This needs to be optional, since it's got a downside built into it. There will be times when the Mad Berserker doesn't want to get worked up to the max. Also, I think the transformation must be a voluntary thing - so it's not kicked off by the level 1 ability's instant and involuntary Berserk Stance.

There's a downside to the Force of Nature's elemental legacy, too, most often.

Lake of blood: At Level 10, choose five tricks. You gain those tricks as temporary bonus tricks when you are in berserk stance.

Not a fan of the name... and it's rather weak without some some caveats. Not if you get to cherry pick 5 tricks from any source... that's a gamebreaker! We'll add in the "gain and replace" mechanic from Cross-Training to allow character progression continue unhindered.

Orgy Of Destruction: At Level 10, choose five attack tricks from any character options (Including feats you do not possess), as long as you have the appropriate forte for the tricks attack type. You gain those tricks as temporary bonus tricks when you are in the Berserk stance. You may not choose a trick you already have, and if you later gain a trick you’ve chosen here you do not gain it a second time; instead, you make a new trick choice to replace the former one.

I'm leery of the "picking from any source" concept. It seems like that creates too many things I need to check to make sure it's not a real game-breaking gamebreaker. Some of the mechanical verbiage seems like a step in the right direction. I did think about "what if you already have the trick?" but I didn't turn it into verbiage.